One of Albuquerque's most tireless independent theatre troupes also
happens to be its most glamorous. Founded in 1997 by Matthew Bubb
(aka Geneva Convention) and Kenneth Ansloan (aka Tequila Mockingbyrd),
The Dolls have each year
presented no fewer than four or five imaginative movie spoofs,
elaborate holiday extravaganzas, and drag interpretations of American
chestnuts like The Women and The Bad Seed at theatres
and nightclubs throughout Albuquerque. In little more than a decade,
the company's tagline ("The Dolls presents") has come to signal a
sequined mix of loving homage, broad parody, and what they coyly term
"Dolls liberties," referring to the assorted ribald asides, riffs and
one-liners that earn every Dolls production its "for mature audiences"
warning. Such embellishments are on often delightful display this
July as The Dolls present Auntie Mame, the now familiar tale of
a young boy raised by his eccentric aunt, at the historic Albuquerque
Little Theatre.

Even without The Dolls's "liberties," Auntie Mame is a
scene-stealer's delight, with ample opportunity for such thievery by
principal and bit player alike. In this cast of nineteen, eight
performers play single characters, while the other eleven split the
remaining twenty-three listed roles. And, elaborately outfitted in
Susan Ricker's costumes, all do their best to steal the show. It
is testament, then, to Bradd Howard's direction that an infectious
spirit of collaborative camaraderie inspires the audience's palpable
delight in this ensemble's performance (a feeling of goodwill that
buoyed the show through the laborious scene changes and myriad scenery
malfunctions that beset John van der Meer's set on opening night).

Double casting also amplifies each performer's especial
contributions to the show. Seymour Johnson (local drag king and co-
founder of the Albuquerque Kings Club) demonstrates a wry innocence as
the younger Patrick, ably anchoring the show's emotional through-line
for its first half (before taking on the same-but-different part of
Michael in the last scene). Adam Kidd deftly essays three bit parts
before intermission (after which he shines in the role of Patrick as a
young man). A.J. Carian (who also plays Pegeen Ryan in the play's
later scenes) schemes salaciously as southern belle Sally Cato, and
Jim Johns's powerful bluster is put to effective (and often startling)
use in the very different roles of Mother Burnside and Claude Upson.
Jay Kincheloe, Chastity Belt-Off, Mauro Montoya, Brigitte Bellsong,
Jason Dorrenbacher and Joshua Ball also take on multiple roles in the
production.

In the role of acid-tongued, gin-soaked actress Vera Charles,
Patrick Ross jolts every scene with clarity, precision and impeccable
timing. (Mame's disastrous New Haven debut becomes one of the
production's most captivating sequences largely because of Ross's
ability to get laughs even with his back turned.) As Mame's na´ve
secretary Miss Agnes Gooch, Adan Branchal is a winning, comedic
presence throughout, appearing first as a dumpy frump, then morphing
into a curvy glamazon, before plumply transforming again in a hot pink
yoga costume. Even Gabe Torres (in the thankless role of Mame's Asian
manservant Ito) grabs his share of giggles, as do Thax von Reither,
Brian Fejer and Jaime Pardo as Mame's closer collaborators. But,
without a doubt, the production's most delightful scenes are stolen by
Joe Moncada in the role of Norah Muldoonez. Reinventing the script's
dowdy Irish housekeeper as a regal Mexican matron (who speaks with an
accent as thickly comical as Charo's), Moncada's Norah gooses the
hilarity of every scene while always maintaining the character's
warmth and stolidity. Moncada's irreverent yet generous performance
is a revelation, and reason enough to see the show.

Yet no matter how many hidden gems one might find among the
supporting players, the success of any Auntie Mame depends upon
the performance at the center of its crown. Here, as Mame, is Kenneth
Ansloanbest known as Dolls co-founder Tequila Mockingbyrd, who
assumed sole artistic leadership of the company upon Bubb's untimely
death in 2007. In the demanding title role, Ansloan delivers a
charismatic performance that is equal parts grit, gumption and
glamour. Gliding through no less than sixteen top-to-bottom costume
changes (involving gowns and caftans galore, in addition to at least
four wigs, a feathered headdress and an enormous silver turban),
Ansloan's Mame works both as a drag homage to Rosalind Russell and as
a giddy concoction all Ansloan's own. To be sure, the character's
more vulnerable aspects appeared only fleetingly on opening night.
Nevertheless, when Ansloan arrives onstage for the play's climactic
scene wearing a show-stopping glittering golden gown and ready to
vanquish the loathsome Upson clan, the whole of The Dolls's
presentation of Auntie Mame comes together with heart-stirring
humor as Ansloan conveys the transcendent fierceness of Mame's love
for her beloved Patrick.

Auntie Mame by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee,
presented by The Dolls and directed by Bradd Howard, runs July 2-11,
2010, at the historic Albuquerque Little Theatre, 224 San Pasquale SW,
just south of Old Town. Show times are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm
and Sundays at 2 pm. $15 general admission. For reservations call
505-242-4750 or visit www.albuquerquelittletheatre.org.